The Best American Mystery Stories 2012

The creator of Elvis Cole and Joe Pike and the author of such New York Times bestsellers as The Sentry and The Taken, Robert Crais chooses this year's collection of 20 must-reads in mysteries from the past year, including Peter Beagle's "The Bridge Partner," Thomas McGuane's "The Good Samaritan," and "Local Knowledge" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Since its inception in 1915, the Best American series has become the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction and nonfiction. For this title, as for each of the others, a series editor reviews hundreds of periodicals, then selects between 50 and 100 outstanding works. The guest editor—a recognized expert in the field—then pares the list down to the very best pieces.